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This past Tuesday, Brian Kemp signed Addy’s Law for major changes to school systems and violations regarding bus routes. This is following the tragic death of 8-year-old Adalynn Pierce who was hit boarding her bus on the way to school just a month prior.
What is Addy’s Law?
HB 1284, better known as Addy’s Law, requires public schools to redesign bus routes with stops that do not require children to cross a road with a speed limit equal to or exceeding 40mph—enacting a strict safety regimen to prevent future student-related accidents.
As well, this law now states that motorists who meet or overtake from either direction of a bus that has its light flashing on an undivided highway shall be issued a traffic citation, with a punishment of a high and aggravated misdemeanor, and a minimum fine of $1,000, 12 months in prison, or both. These fines may be determined based on the evidence captured from school bus cameras, making it detrimental to focus on safe driving near school bus stops. This law will be in effect starting July 1st.
This now makes Georgia among the top two states with the highest minimum fines for passing a school bus with its lights flashing next to Utah, which also passed a bill to set the minimum fines to $1,000 starting May 1st.
Jones & Swanson urges every Georgia motorist to pay special attention to routine school bus stops and for students boarding and leaving buses to also take extra measures to protect themselves and their peers. We hope that with these new laws, we can see a decrease in accidents and a change in schools prioritizing bus safety.
